Georgia's parliament is preparing to discuss controversial proposed amendments to the South Caucasus country's constitution.
Parliament speaker Irakli Kobakhidze announced on June 5 that a draft constitution proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party would be discussed in committee hearings this week.
Hundreds of mostly young activists disrupted public discussions of the proposals in the capital, Tbilisi, on May 15.
They protested proposals to switch from direct presidential elections to the election of the president by parliament; to enable the winning party to acquire more parliamentary seats through redistribution after elections; and the legalization of land purchases by foreigners.
Kobakhidze said the draft will be discussed twice at plenary sessions this month and a third time during the parliament’s autumn session.
The constitutional amendments were offered for nationwide discussions in May.
